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Dullahan
Background Dullahan’s are a type of undead with close ties to both the natural world of the fey and the fires of Hell. Known as terrifying reapers of souls, dullahans are usually created by powerful fiends from the souls of particularly cruel generals, watch-captains, or other military commanders. Sent back from the pits of Hell to sow terror and harvest new souls, dullahans return to the towns or villages they lived in as mortals. While their favored victims are evil men and women (or their living descendants) whose souls are destined for Hell, many dullahans have no qualms about adding innocents to their lists of victims. Others find their own path, existing in peaceful solitude or even coexisting among the mortal masses and trying to find a semblance of their former lives. These anomalies are often the product of necromancers who failed to maintain control over the dullahan after creation. Dullahan’s are given abilities to open locked gates and doors before them, however suffer from an irrational fear of gold. Physical Description Dullahan’s are beings that resemble pale skinned, headless versions of their former selves. Typically, the Dullahan carries its head under its arm and has to physically orient it around to take in their surroundings, however some will decide to place their head back upon their shoulders to temporarily regain use of that hand, at the risk of it accidentally falling off or being lost. Their shades of hair and eye color often vary drastically from the norm, causing most members of this race to be unique in that regard. Society As beings created from souls cast back to the material plane, dullahan’s don’t have much of a society of their own, tending to either exist as outcasts used to being greeted by torches and pitchforks or disguise themselves as members of other societies. Relations While all dullahan possess some sort of physical and mental prowess, they otherwise retain many of the same characteristics they had in life. Most dullahans are very driven towards their goal of reaping souls and find themselves identifying with like minded creatures. Generally speaking the one thing all dullahans share is their hatred of necromancers who would dare to create them artificially and bend them to their will. Alignment and religion Most dullahans cary the malicious intent of their fiendish masters into the material world and abide by a code as they systematically send the damned to hell, making them prone to following a lawful evil path. As time goes by many find that straying towards the chaotic end of the spectrum suits their goals better, especially those that relish in the slaughter of innocents. A few members of the races find themselves doing enough good in the world to maintain neutrality, and good aligned dullahans are exceptionally rare, borderline unheard of. As far as religion goes, most dullahan’s worship the archdevil, arch-daemon, or demon lord responsible for bringing about their undead existence. Common patrons are Baalzebul, the four horsemen of the apocalypse (particularly Charon), and Orcus. Otherwise they tend to worship other gods of death or whatever deity they worshiped in life, if they remember. Adventurers Whether a dullahan remains true to their initial calling or not, many dullahans find themselves taking on the role of adventurer to further their goals. Traditionally armored warriors, dullahans are well suited to the frontlines of combat, and those with prior military experience in their former life make excellent commanders. Riding upon a worthy mount is seen as a symbol of prestige among dullahans, and so they take classes that help them do just that. They are also predisposed towards favoring spellcasting, but can otherwise excel at any role they set their minds to. The biggest grievance dullahan’s have in this line of work is arranging payment in a currency other than gold. Names Dullahan’s have the same had in life, which would be determined by their base race. However, many dullahan’s adopt nicknames or change their names to better fit in. Standard Racial Traits * Type: Dullahan's have the Undead type with the Augmented and Dullahan subtype. (16 RP) * Size: Dullahan's are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size. (0 RP) * Base Speed: Dullahans have a base speed of 30 ft. (0 RP) * Flexible (2 RP): Modifiers: Members of this race gain a +2 strength or dex and, +2 charisma. Note: When in a point buy, the constitution score must be at 10 and cannot be changed. * Language: Standard (0 RP): Dullahan's begin play speaking with Common and Sylvan. Dullahan's with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Aklo, Elven, Ignan, Infernal, Necril, and Undercommon. * Aurophobia (-4RP): '''Dullahan’s are afraid of gold, and will prefer not to approach within 30 feet of sufficient sums of it. For example, a small pile of gold, a gold statue or an area decorated with gold (a creature simply wearing copious amounts of gold jewelry will not usually trigger this effect, up to GM discretion). They will take reasonable steps to avoid gold, but will not put themselves in jeopardy by doing so. This also prevents them accepting gold as payment, carrying around or wearing items made of gold. However, if they are forced into approaching or interacting with visible gold, they take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, or skill checks involved. * '''Detached Head (-4 RP): '''A dullahan’s head is not attached to their body and must be carried around (which prevents the welding of weapons or other items with that hand) or placed carefully upon their shoulders. The head is a separate entity that is the source of sight, hearing, and ability to speak for the dullahan. It has no locomotion of it’s own or capability of using abilities with somatic components, is generally considered helpless and can be attacked and damaged as normal, with the exception that it receives no benefit from worn armor, shields, or other defensive items that would only affect the body when seperated. The body on the other hand is blind, deaf, mute, without a sense of smell and incapable or using abilities with verbal components. Both head and body still share the same set of actions. Whenever a dullahan has their head upon their shoulders and is subject to an ability involving their head or neck, it instead targets the head. For example a choker that successfully grapples a dullahan effectively grapples their head off and if left holding it instead of strangling them. If a dullahan with its head on its shoulders is subject to a successful bull rush attempt or a confirmed critical hit, there’s a 50% chance it’s head flies off landing 10 feet in a random direction. This is guaranteed to happen when subject to a vorpal like effect and whenever the dullahan is knocked prone or forcibly dismounted for any reason. * '''Light Blindness (–2 RP): '''Prerequisite: Darkvision or see in darkness trait; Weakness: Abrupt exposure to bright light blinds members of this race for 1 round; on subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area. * '''Repulsion (-2RP): '''Dullahan’s recoil from strongly presented items of gold regardless of size or quantity, even a pin will do the trick. Gold doesn’t harm the dullahan—it merely keeps them at bay. A recoiling dullahan must stay at least 5 feet away from the gold and cannot touch or make melee attacks against that creature. Holding a dullahan at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a dullahan can overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally each round it makes a DC 25 Will save. * '''Resurrection Vulnerability (–1 RP): '''A raise dead spell cast on a member of this race can destroy it (Will negates). Using the spell in this way does not require a material component. * '''Skill Bonus (1 RP): '''Dullahan’s receive a +2 racial bonus on intimidate checks. * '''Soul Seer (4 RP): '''Dullahan’s gain deathwatch as a constant spell-like ability. * '''Spell-Like Ability, Lesser (2 RP): '''Members of this race can use the Knock spell as a spell-like ability once per day. The caster level of the spell is equal to the user’s character level. * '''Spell-Like Ability, At-Will (2 RP): '''Members of this race can use the Open/Close spell as an at-will spell-like ability. The caster level of the spell is equal to the user’s character level. * '''Call of the Grave (0 RP): '''A dullahan that is destroyed can be returned to undeath with a casting of create undead at a sufficiently high caster level, affecting the creature as a resurrection (requires CL 13), or true resurrection (requires CL 17) with the exception that it restores them to unlife a week later (during which time they are normally buried), and costing an appropriate amount of onyx gems (10,000 gp, or 25,000 gp). A dullahan that is resurrected normally returns to being a mortal (generally a human or elf) with the special (dullahan) subtype in addition to those they’d normally have and must be slain before they can rise as a dullahan once more. * '''Undead traits ** Undead have no Constitution score. Undead use their Charisma score in place of their Constitution score when calculating hit points, Fortitude saves, and any special ability that relies on Constitution (such as when calculating a breath weapon’s DC). ** Undead have the darkvision 60 feet racial trait. ** Undead are immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms). ** Undead are immune to bleed damage, death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning. ** Undead are not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain, and are immune to damage to physical ability scores (Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength), as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects. ** Undead are harmed by positive energy and healed by negative energy. An undead creature with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality. ** Undead are immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). ** Undead do not risk death from massive damage, but are immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or fewer. ** Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep, unless they want to gain some beneficial effect from one of these activities. This means that an undead creature can drink potions to benefit from their effects and can sleep in order to regain spells, but neither of these activities is required to survive or stay in good health. Alternate Racial Traits *'Deceptive: '''Dullahan's that live amoung society have grown more adept at using deception to conceal their true nature and gain +2 racial bonus on Bluff checks. (Replaces Skill Bonus) Favored Class Options * '''Aegis:' Gain +1/2 damage reduction/bludgeoning * Alchemist: Add +10 minutes to the duration of the alchemists mutagen. * Antipaladin: Add +1/2 hit point to the antipaladin’s touch of corruption ability (whether using it to heal or harm). * Arcanist: Add +¼ to the arcanist’s effective caster level when determining the effects of the arcane barrier and arcane weapon arcanist exploits. * Armiger: Gain +1/6 of a granted talent for 1 customized weapon. * Armorost: +1/6th of an arsenal trick. * Bard: Reduce arcane spell failure chance for casting bard spells when wearing medium armor by +1%. Once the total reaches 10%, the bard also receives Medium Armor Proficiency, if he does not already possess it. * Blacksmith: Weapons you craft yourself deal +1/4 points of fire damage while you wield them. * Cavalier: Add +¼ to the cavalier’s bonus on damage against targets of his challenge. * Cleric: Select one domain power granted at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the cleric’s Wisdom modifier. The cleric adds +½ to the number of uses per day of that domain power. * Commander: Attacks made by allies benefiting from one of your enhanced tactics deal an additional +1/4 fire damage. * Conscript: Gain a +1/2 profane bonus on three conscript class skills. * Cryptic: The cryptic gains +1/6 of a new insight. * Dread: Add +1/2 to the Dullahan's One’s daily uses of terrors. * Elementalist: All destructive blasts deal an additional +1/4 negative energy damage. This extra negative energy damage has no effect on undead, or other targets normally healed by negative energy. * Eliciter: Gain a +1/2 bonus to Intimidation checks made to demoralize opponents, and to Bluff checks made to feint in combat. * Fey Adept: Increase the duration of the Shadowmark’s penalty by 1 round. * Fighter: Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a bull rush or trip. * Harbinger: Add +1/4 of a maneuver known from the Black Seraph or Cursed Razor disciplines. * Hedgewitch: Choose a tradition power usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + 1/2 the hedgewitch’s level. The hedgewitch may use this power an additional 1/2 times per day. * Incanter: Gain a +1/2 bonus to all concentration checks. * Inquisitor: Add a +½ on Intimidate checks to demoralize humanoids. * Investigator: Gain a +1/3 bonus on all inspiration rolls. * Mageknight: +1/6 bonus to all saving throws vs magic. This stacks with the resist magic class feature. * Magus: Add +¼ bonus to the magus’s arcane pool. * Marksman: Add a +1/4 circumstance bonus to DCs to resist marksman powers. * Monk: Add a +¼ bonus on combat maneuver checks made to grapple or trip. * Ninja: The nija gains +1/6 of a new ninja trick. * Oracle: Treat the Dullahan's level as +½ higher for the purpose of determining the effects of the oracle's curse ability. * Psychic Warrior: Add +1 to the Dullahan's power points per day. * Ranger: Add +¼ dodge bonus to armor class against the Dullahan's favored enemies. * Rogue: The rogue gains +1/6 of a new rogue talent. * Samurai: Add +¼ to the samurai’s bonus on damage against targets of his challenge. * Sentinel: Gain +1/4 bonus to Fortitude saves. * Shaman: The shaman gains 1/6 of a new shaman hex. * Skald: Reduce the arcane spell failure chance for casting skald spells when wearing heavy armor by 1%. Once the total reduction reaches 10%, the skald also receives Heavy Armor Proficiency (if the skald does not already possess it). * Slayer: Add a +¼ dodge bonus to Armor Class against the slayer’s studied target. * Sorcerer: Add +½ point of negative energy damage to spells that deal negative energy damage. * Soulknife: Add +1 to the soulknife’s CMD when resisting a grapple or trip. * Soulweaver: +1/4 an additional use of channel energy per day. * Summoner: Add +1/3 to the eidolon’s evolution pool. * Stalker: Gain 1/4 of a stalker art. * Striker: Gain +1/4 bonus to Fortitude saves. * Swashbuckler: Increase the total number of points in the swashbuckler’s panache pool by +1/4. * Thaumaturge: Increase the duration of the Lingering Pain Invocation by 1/4th of a round. * Time Thief: Add +1/2 bonus to damage dealt to creatures. * Warder: Add +1/4 of a maneuver known from the Black Seraph or Cursed Razor disciplines. * Warlord: Add +1/4 of a maneuver known from the Black Seraph or Cursed Razor disciplines. * Wilder: Add 1/4 power known from the wilder power list. This power must be at least one level below the highest power level the wilder can manifest. * Witch: The witch gains 1/6 of a new witch hex. * Wraith: Gain +1/8 bonus to possession DC. * Zealot: Add +1/4 of a maneuver known from the Black Seraph or Cursed Razor disciplines. Category:Race